Aloha Familia,

I come to you all with a humble and grateful heart; grateful for family, friends, and community.

After leaving home, O’ahu, Hawai’i in 2024 in pursuit of career opportunities and starting a new life on the mainland US, it has been eventful to say the least. First time being away from home, I thought I was homesick and wrote off fatigue as work and seasonal affective disorder. Then in June 2025, a biopsy of a lump found via self-exam (friends, please do them!!!) confirmed Stage 2A Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, or breast cancer. Don’t ignore symptoms, trust your instinct!

With a family history, my sister Kate being a survivor herself, and the wonderful doctors of Seattle, WA, I have been fast-tracked to get the care I need. Treatment is planned to be 6 cycles of chemotherapy followed by surgery. After a brief recovery, radiation will be done a month after surgery to ensure all cancer has been removed. There will be a year of immunology infusions to help my immune system recover.

Being with my job less than a year has modified access to benefits. Although with wonderful support and accommodation so far from the company, continuing to work will be revisited as I go through my treatment. So with all this said, I am also no stranger to the economic strain we all may face in our daily lives. This page is only to ask IF you’re able to help. I would not want to impose or implicate hardship on anyone. This big ask of donations will help me cover my own daily obligations and medical bills, so that I will be able to focus on healing while away from work and to not burden my household and immediate family.

This is less than ideal news, but Seattle has been wonderful and God has truly blessed me with wisdom, joy, and gratitude with my time here. I await the next months to expand my faith and all of this being part of my story and testimony. Even with this news, I hold no fear but all faith. It will only be suffering if I forget the strength available from our Heavenly Father, the love and support from family and friends, and the ultimate gift of experience that is life: to participate in it and experience it.

I miss my family in Hawaii and Guam incredibly, and the hope to visit and travel back at one point is a big wish of mine. Washington has been wonderful, but nothing beats being home on O’ahu and Guam. Summer breeze (there all year) makes me feel more than fine haha.

Thank you,

Dakal Salamat,

Si Yu'os Ma'åse,

and Mahalo for your time, your consideration, and if anything from this I ask for love, thoughts, and prayers.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

James 1:2-4

Here’s to joy and laughs.. let’s liiiiiive life.

Cheers,

Kas